Refuse disposal



F. S. SIMPSON REFUSE DISPOSAL May 9, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct.26, 1964 y 96 7 F. s. SIMPSON 3,318,270

REFUSE DISPOSAL Filed Oct. 26, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mum/m2.-

FE/M/K 5. 5/1 /1 50 United States Patent 3,318,270 REFUSE DISPQSAL FrankS. Simpson, Alton, Ill., assignor to Illinois Stocker Company, Alton,Ill, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 406,517 5Claims. (Cl. 110--7) This invention relates generally to refusedisposal, and in particular concerns an improvement upon the method andapparatus disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 301,401, filedAug. 12, 1963, now Patent No. 3,289,- 617, of which this application isa continuation-in-part.

The above-mentioned copending application discloses a method andapparatus for agitating the burning bed of refuse on the traveling grateof an incinerator of the municipal type. This is accomplished by theinjection of air, or other gas, through the grate, and under pressuresufiicient to locally lift, expand and fluff matted, wet, and otherwisecompacted, components of the refuse bed. Structurally speaking, thedisclosure of said copending application added to the conventionalstructure, for such an incinerator, means for injecting gas underrelatively high pressure upward through the grate beneath the bed ofburning refuse. The magnitude of the pressure on the injected air wasintended to be substantially in excess of that theretofore applied toforce -a draft through the openings in the grate, so that the pressureis suificient to overcome, or locally lift, the dead weight of theaffected increments of refuse on the traveling grate. Said applicationpointed out that suitable pressure on the injected air, or other gas, toaccomplish the desired agitation might be between twelve and thirtyinches of waterthe deeper the bed of refuse, the higher the requiredpressure on the injected air. The copending application pointed out thatthe higher pressure was preferred because, consistent with the economyof operation, it does no harm, but does permit of intermittentoperation, and hence conserves the energy consumed in so injecting theair when the burning refuse bed does not require it.

It has now been discovered, however, that there are certain sets ofconditions under which the maintenance of the high pressure on theinjected gas is undesirable; and intermittent operation may beimpractical because between the time the need for the high pressuresubsides and the time the source of high pressure can be de-activated,there is a haitus during which lighter material following in successionbehind the heavy material is unduly agitated.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to so control the flow ofhigh pressure air, or other agitating gas, so that when the need for itat a given locus subsides, it is automatically discontinued at thatlocus. And when the need for agitation occurs, such need isautomatically sensed, and the pressure on the agitating gas increased.

Generally stated, the invention contemplates the provision, in each ofthe tuyeres which delivers the agitating gas at a given locus, of meansresponsive to excess pressure at that locus to increase the same; andresponsive to a sudden decrease in pressure at that locus to furtherdecrease the same. In the operation of an incinerator of the characteraforesaid, when an increment of refuse which requires agitation passesover the orifice from such a tuyere, the pressure adjacent that orificeincreases because the air therein cannot escape through the orifice.When this occurs, the present invention contemplates that the pressureat that orifice be automatically increased to a value sufiicient toagitate, loosen, and permit the flow of air therethrough. Upon suchloosening, the pressure adjacent that orifice suddenly declines becausethe air therein finds escape through the agitated refuse; and when thisoccurs, the sudden drop in pressure adjacent the orifice activates afurther drop to the operating pressure level.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a separatecompartment about each of the throats which delivers the air (to supportcombustion and/or to agitate the bed of refuse) beneath a section oftraveling grate. In a conventional incinerator of the type referred to,and as shown in the aforesaid copending application, a series of suchthroats, usually from three to six in number, is aligned crosswise tothe direction of travel of the grate, and such series is repeated fromincrement to increment along the length of the burden-bearing reach ofthe traveling grate for such distance as it is desired to forcecombustion, Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the separatecompartmentation of orifices in each series extending crosswise withreference to the length of the traveling grate ermits the regulation ofpressure at one orifice, independently of the pressure at anotherorifice in the same series, and independently of all the orifices in anyother series.

More specifically, the invention contemplates that each orificecompartment be connected with a source of high pressure air, or othergas, which is maintained more or less constantly at the highest pressurewhich may be needed, e.g., a pressure of twelve to thirty inches ofwater; and that each such compartment be provided with means forcontrolling the volume of air, or other gas, flowing from the sourceinto that particular compartment, depending upon whether the momentaryover-burden at that compartment requires agitation or not. Moreover, theinvention envisions that the control means provide, constantly into eachcompartment, at least a suflicient volume of gas to maintain the desiredcombustion rate.

For a more specific disclosure of an embodiment of the method andapparatus contemplated by the present invention, reference may be had tosaid copending application wherein a series of orifice plates 15, eachhaving a central opening 16 communicating with the upper end of a throat14, is arranged crosswise of a traveling grate incinerator at a numberof stations lengthwise thereof. At at least one of these stations, theseries of throats 14 is supplied with air under sufiicient pressure tolift and agitate a compacted over-burden on the traveling grate. Thehigh pressure air is applied to each of the throats in that seriesthrough a wind box 7. A permanently open hole in the upper side of thewind box 7 constantly admits the high pressure air to the respectivethroats 14, irrespective of whether the momentary over-burden at thatthroat requires agitation. In substitution for the part of theincinerator of the copending application just referred to, the structureshown in the accompanying drawings may be utilized to carry out theconcepts of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a series of orifice plates constructed,arranged and controlled in accordance with the present invention, itbeing understood that the traveling grate (not shown) moves across theseries of orifice plates in the direction from top to bottom or frombottom to top, as desired;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, andschematically showing the location of the traveling grate; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2, andtypifies the structure and arrangement of parts beneath the respectiveorifice plates.

In the form shown in the drawings, the apparatus for carrying out thepresent invention involves a blower, or like source of high pressure gasllconnected through a duct 12 to a tuyere 13. The tuyere 13 iscontrollably vented into separate compartments 14 beneath each of theseveral orifice plates 15, of which there are five in series arrangedcrosswise the direction of travel of the grate as shown in FIGURES 1 and2.

Each compartment 14 is separated from its neighbor by a wall 50extending vertically downward from the conventional carry bars 51 to asuitable compartment floor shown in the form of a door 52. Between thecarry bars 51, the orifice plates 15 are arranged so as to bridge thespace between supporting I-beams 53, all in accordance with the usualpractice. Each of the compartments 14.has an end wall 54 extendingdownwardly from one of I-beams 53 to floor 52; each of such compartmentsalso has an opposite end wall 55 which separates it from tuyere 13, andwhich, except for the devices now to be described, completes theenclosure of compartment 14. Wall 55 is provided with an opening 56,through which air under pressure may pass from tuyere 13 intocompartment 14. A damper 57, hinged for rotation about axis 58, isprovided for controlling the volume of air passing from tuyere 13 intocompartment 14 at any in crement of time. In the full line positionshown in the drawings, the damper 57 is closed, but it will be observedthat the damper is deliberately made loose of fit within opening 56, sothat regardless of the fact that the damper may be in its closedposition, some air may nevertheless pass from tuyere 13 into each of thecompartments 14. That is to say, that, regardless of other conditions,enough air is always passed through opening 56 to sustain the combustionof the over-burden on the traveling grate.

Also, in wall 55, there is provided a damper operator or control of thecharacter which senses the prevalence of .excess pressure in compartment14, and responds by opening damper 57 so as to increase the pressuretherein; or conversely, when the pressure in compartment 14 suddenlydrops, the control operates the damper in the direction which tends tofurther reduce that pressure,

p .In the embodiment shown, the aforesaid damper operator or controltakes the form of a differential area piston cylinder combination, withthe larger piston 59 in the larger cylinder 60 exposed to the pressurein compartment 14, while the smaller piston 61 in the smaller cylinder62 is exposed to the pressure in tuyere 13. Under normal operatingconditions, i.e., where the overburden above orifice plate 15 is looseand not obstructing the flow of air therethrough, the pressure incompartment 14 will be low (e.g., 3 inches of water) in comparison withthe pressure (e.g., 1820 inches) in tuyere 13, and the damper 57 will beclosed, or substantially so. When the over-burden above a given plate 15is too tight or compacted to permit the air to flow therethrough in thenormal way, the pressure in the associated compartment 14 rises (e.g.,to 14 inches). As the pressure in compartment 14 rises, its action onthe larger piston 59 results in a force which exceeds the opposite forceresulting from the exertion of the higher pressure in tuyere 13 upon thesmaller piston 61and consequently moves the piston combination 5961rightwardly, as shown in FIGURE 3. Such movement to the right iscommunicated by rod 63 to lever 64-,which is fulcrumed at 65, so as tomove the lever in the clockwise direction (as shown in FIGURE 3), and soas to force link 66 leftwardly. The link 66 is pivotally connected at 67with damper 57. Consequently, the movement of the piston combination59-61 to the right rotates damper 57 in the counterclockwise direction(as shown in FIGURE 3). When the damper 57 has been thus opened, agreater volume of the high pressure air in' tuyere 13 flows throughorifice 56 than theretofore, thereby increasing the pressure incompartment 14 until theoverburden is agitated and released sufficientlyto permit the escape of air therethrough, at which time the pressure incompartment 14 suddenly drops.

In order to prevent the back side of piston 59 from beingsubjected tothe relatively high pressure in tuyere 13, the back side of cylinder 60is permanently enclosed by a flange 68 on cylinder 62; and in order toavoid the retarding influence of fluid entrapped in the space betweenpiston 59 and flange 68, that space is vented to atmosphere through apipe 69 and header 70. The header 70 preferably communicates with ventpipes like 69 for each of the several compartments 14.

When the pressure in any one of the compartments 14 thus drops the forcetending to move its piston combination 59-61 to the right is reducedbelow the force tending to move its piston combination to the left inresponse to the constantly higher pressure in tuyere 13. Consequently,the damper 57 of that compartment is thereby moved toward its closedposition, thus reducing the volume of high pressure air passing throughorifice 56 to its normal value, and maintaining it in that positionuntil the pressure in that compartment again becomes abnormally high inresponse to obstruction of its escape through the over-burden.

It will be understood that as many of the compartments 14 as desired(preferably all of them at a given station lengthwise of theincinerator) are equipped with the automatic pressure regulationdescribed.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art shouldunderstand the construction and operation of the invention, and realizethat the control means, whether in the form shown or in any other form,which is responsive to excess pressure in compartment 14 to increasethat pressure and is responsive to sudden drops of pressure incompartment 14 to further drop that pressure, provides a control whichis automatically responsive to the character of over-burden passing overthe given compartment. As aforesaid, an individual such control isprovided for each compartment, under each orifice plate in the series,of an incinerator which is equipped with a high 'gas pressure agitationmeans.

While one form of the invention has been disclosed in detail, it is tobe distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to the formshown, but that, on the contrary, those skilled in the art will beexpected, in the exercise of the skills of their callings, to provideother forms of controls which function to produce the same result, allwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a refuse incinerator of the type having a traveling grate forsustaining and moving a bed of burning refuse, said grate havingapertures therethrough, the improvement which comprises a series ofseparate compartments extending crosswise of the direction of travel ofsaid grate and below said grate for directing air through those of saidapertures disposed above the individual compartments respectively, asource of air under pressure of at least twelve inches of water, saidsource communicating with all compartments of the series, eachcompartment of the series having a damper controlling its communicationwith said source, separate means in each compartment responsive tochanges in pressure in that compartment, said means moving in onedirection when the compartment pressure increases and moving in theopposite direction when the compartment pressure decreases, and meansresponsive to movement of said pressure responsive means for actuatingthe damper for that compartment to open the damper when the pressure inthat compartment increases and to close it when the pressure in thatcompartment decreases.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said damper when closed admits theflow of some air from said source to said compartment.

3. A refuse incinerator of the type having a traveling grate forsustaining and moving a bed of burning refuse, said grate havingapertures therethrough, means for forcing air upwardly through saidapertures at relatively low pressure to support combustion, and meansresponsive to abnormal obstruction of the flow of air through saidapertures to increase the pressure on the air delivered to saidapertures to an extent suflicient to agitate the bed of refuse overlyingsaid apertures.

4. In the art of incinerating refuse on an apertured grate the processcomprising, providing a plenum chamber having an open communication withthe lower side of the apertured grate, supplying said plenum chamberwith air under pressure normally suffic'ient to force it through saidapertures, and, when the pressure in said plenum chamber exceeds normal,increasing the pressure therein.

5. In a refuse incinerator of the type having a traveling grate forsustaining and moving a bed of burning refuse, said grate havingapertures therethrough, compartments below said grate for directing airthrough those of said apertures disposed above it, and a source ofpressurized air communicating with said compartments, the improvementwhich comprises, said compartment having a damper controlling itscommunication with said source, a

differential area piston-cylinder arranged with the piston of largerarea exposed to pressure within said compartment and with its piston ofsmaller area exposed to pressure of said source, and means forconverting motion of said differential 'area piston cylinder into motionof said damper to open said damper when the compartment pressureincreases and to close said damper when the compartment pressuredecreases.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,057,681 10/1936Harrington 110-15 2,064,864 12/ 1936 Temple 1l072 X 2,262,252 11/1941Roland.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A REFUSE INCINERATOR OF THE TYPE HAVING A TRAVELING GRATE FORSUSTAINING AND MOVING A BED OF BURNING REFUSE, SAID GRATE HAVINGAPERTURES THERETHROUGH, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A SERIES OFSEPARATE COMPARTMENTS EXTENDING CROSSWISE OF THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OFSAID GRATE AND BELOW SAID GRATE FOR DIRECTING AIR THROUGH THOSE OF SAIDAPERTURES DISPOSED ABOVE THE INDIVIDUAL COMPARTMENTS RESPECTIVELY, ASOURCE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE OF AT LEAST TWELVE INCHES OF WATER, SAIDSOURCE COMMUNICATING WITH ALL COMPARTMENTS OF THE SERIES, EACHCOMPARTMENT OF THE SERIES HAVING A DAMPER CONTROLLING ITS COMMUNICATIONWITH SAID SOURCE, SEPARATE MEANS IN EACH COMPARTMENT RESPONSIVE TOCHANGES IN PRESSURE IN THAT COMPARTMENT, SAID MEANS MOVING IN ONEDIRECTION WHEN THE COMPARTMENT PRESSURE INCREASES AND MOVING IN THEOPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEN THE COMPARTMENT PRESSURE DECREASES, AND MEANSRESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR ACTUATINGTHE DAMPER FOR THAT COMPARTMENT TO OPEN THE DAMPER WHEN THE PRESSURE INTHAT COMPARTMENT INCREASES AND TO CLOSE IT WHEN THE PRESSURE IN THATCOMPARTMENT DECREASES.